[John Robertson Posts: 5137 Status: Offline WWW]

Hi,

Well worth some of you time reading our Builders Guide and Buyers Guides for starters.  Also we have interactive design guides for various systems in a hovercraft HERE

I would gently suggest that most your design experience is probably not directly transferable to hovercraft (apart from some of engine/transmission bits) - hovercraft are a combination of aircraft design technology with pneumatics thrown in for extra interest!  The lightest (VERY important for hovercraft) and strongest craft are made using lightweight composite core hulls - it weighs around half the cold store type panels you mention and uses structural core foam rather than insulation grade,


In the 20 years I've been involved in hovercraft I've yet to see a successful (as in does something useful) self-designed craft - the odds are against you but please feel free to surprise me!  If you need any help let me know.


Electric craft have been the subject of much interest on here (a quick search will show up the results) but no-one as yet has overcome the obvious limitations of electric.


Cheers

[divetrucker Posts: 1 Status: Offline]

Hi,
I am a retired engineer with much experience of designing and building successful racing cars. I have also spent endless hours driving a RIB for our dive centre (RYA commercial powerboat skippers licence). I have had an unfulfilled fascination with hovercraft since my Airfix model, and travelling to France onboard the hover ferry.


I became familiar with cold room panelling systems and have long thought that this stuff would be ideal for the basis of a hovercraft (avoids all that horrible messy, smelly grp). A long considered making a hovercraft for transporting scuba divers, given the enormous advantage of no dangerous propellor when recovering divers.


I also think that electric motors and Li-on batteries would make a great choice in place of petrol engines. And what about vectored thrust? 


So, just how crazy am I?


Stan